e360 digest

25 Jan 2016:
Massive Transformation to Clean Energy in the U.S. is Possible, Study Says

NOAA

Map showing U.S. wind energy potential

A rapid and affordable transformation to wind and solar energy within 15 years is possible in the U.S., according to a new study by NOAA and University of Colorado Boulder researchers published in the journal Nature Climate Change. This energy transformation could slash greenhouse emissions by as much as 78 percent below 1990 levels, the study said. One of the biggest issues with weather-related power generation is its inherent intermittent nature, leading utilities to rely on gas-fired generators and other reserves during cloudy or low-wind periods. The solution to this problem is to scale up renewable energy generation systems to match the scale of weather systems, the scientists said. The model partially depends on significant improvements to the nation’s outdated electrical grid, including the creation of new, high-voltage direct-current transmissions lines.